We couldn't do this in my Ready Room?
The captain's gotta be in the captain's chair.
- Tilt your chin up. - Just take the picture.
You've got a stanchion growing out of your head.
Swivel to the right about 10 degrees.
Every recruit walking into Starfleet Command
is gonna see this on the wall.
It's a real honour, sir.
Seeing those Starfleet captains every day
gave us something to aspire to.
There's a reflection from that status display.
Could you kill the monitors in the Situation Room?
Come on, T'Pol.
The artist in Oakland needs a good picture to paint from.
Do Vulcan captains have their portraits hanging at the High Command?
Vulcans are revered for their accomplishments,
not for the way they look.
Except for the really important ones, who get mummified.
Why can't they just use a photo from my file?
Sir, I'm picking up a small planet on our current heading.
I thought there weren't any systems along this course.
It's not a system, captain. It's just a planet.
Put it up.
Magnify.
It's a rogue.
A planet that's broken out of its orbit.
Lay in a course.
- Let's take a closer look. - Aye, sir.
Captain Archer in command.
Give it a rest, Trip.
This planet supports a diverse animal population.
How is that possible?
Shouldn't the surface be frozen solid?
Hot gas is venting from the planet's interior.
Most of the life forms are concentrated in those areas.
Oases.
Any people?
No evidence of humanoid life.
I'm picking up a power signature near the equator.
There's a ship down there.
Try to hail them.
No response.
Maybe they wanna be left alone.
A single ship on a dark planet.
Maybe they're on their honeymoon.
Infrared's useless.
There's too much heat coming from those thermal vents.
We should be right over that ship.
I'm scanning for a break in the canopy.
If this is anything like the Amazon, good luck.
I used to say I could land a shuttlepod with my eyes closed.
Well, the proof's in the pudding, captain.
There's a clearing ahead, 900 metres.
But it's not much bigger than the shuttlepod.
It doesn't have to be.
Captain, the vessel's that way, 600 metres.
Follow me.
Why don't you let me play captain for a while, Malcolm.
This reminds me of the rain forest in New Zealand.
I earned my Wilderness merit badge there.
You were a Boy Scout, sir?
I was an Eagle Scout.
So was I.
Really?
How many merit badges?
Twenty-eight. You?
Twenty-six.
That's not bad, sir.
Captain.
We spot any more creatures like that and we'll earn our Exobiology badges.
Actually, I already have that one.
A campsite, sir.
Anyone home?
We're from the starship Enterprise.
Is there anyone here?
I'm still not detecting any bio-signs.
But their ship's less than 200 metres in that direction.
You and Malcolm check it out.
We'll stay here in case anyone shows up.
Did you hear that?
Yes.
Anything?
For a moment, I had a humanoid bio-sign.
It's gone.
It's not gone.
Captain, you all right?
Everything's fine.
These are the Eska.
My name is Damrus.
This is T'Pol, my science officer, and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed.
Pleased to meet you.
Your friends nearly shot me back there.
We're sorry.
There are dangerous animals in the forest.
We've never seen other humanoids here before.
Have we trespassed in your territory?
This planet is no one's territory.
But it's a special place for us.
What are you doing on Dakala?
We're just here to explore.
We'd like to stay for a while, if that's all right.
It's a big planet.
We could find another landing site,
but I was hoping you might enjoy the company.
You aren't exactly roughing it.
Drayjin meat is one of life's great pleasures.
No argument here.
I'm curious why our sensors didn't detect you.
We use sensing cloaks.
They keep the wildlife from spotting us.
Are you studying the wildlife here?
Not exactly.
We're on an expedition.
That Drayjin you're eating, we killed it yesterday.
- You're hunters. - Our people have been coming here
for nine generations.
To kill the indigenous species?
Taking wild animals is part of our tradition.
There are higher primates here. We don't touch them.
Hunting went out of style on Earth over a hundred years ago.
That doesn't mean we don't appreciate your hospitality.
That gear you're carrying.
Seems pretty elaborate to take down a few game animals.
Don't underestimate the game on this planet.
They often get the better of us.
I wonder if I might join one of your hunts.
I thought you people didn't approve.
You were able to sneak up on us
without being detected by our night-vision sensors.
I'd like to see how you did that.
I promise I won't kill anything, sir.
It's up to our hosts.
Captain's starlog, supplemental.
Trip and Malcolm are bringing Hoshi back to Enterprise
and putting together some camping gear to bring back to the surface.
If the bugs glow in the dark, at least you can tell
when they've crawled into your sleeping bag.
One more reason I am happy to spend the night in my own bunk.
Anyway, it's the things you can't see that I'd be worried about.
Like those bore worms.
Bore worms?
Apparently they crawl into your ear to lay their eggs.
Have a nice night.
We can start with the entomologists,
then bring the other bioscience teams down.
I'd recommend we limit the number of crewmen on the surface
to six at a time.
- Sensible. - Enjoying yourselves?
Very much.
Thanks for sharing your camp with us.
We're heading out in six hours. I suggest you get some sleep,
- if you're still planning to come along. - I wouldn't miss it.
- Good night. - Good night.
Night.
I suppose I'll turn in, then.
Sounds like a good idea.
I think I'll sit up for a while.
- Have fun. - Yeah.
Jonathan.
Jonathan.
Hello?
Is someone there?
Jonathan.
Who's there?
If the captain says he saw her, he saw her.
Are there any others in your hunting party?
No.
Certainly no human females.
You sure she wasn't from your vessel?
I'm sure.
- Archer. - Mayweather here, captain.
There are no other ships, on the surface or in orbit.
Thanks, Travis. Archer out.
Nothing.
She was young. Long blond hair.
She was wearing some kind of a nightgown.
A nightgown, sir?
Perhaps you were dreaming.
It wasn't a dream.
She said my name. She knew who I was.
And...
- I think I knew her. - Sir?
There was something about her. L...
I've seen her before.
On this planet...
...it's always night.
You're surrounded by things you can hear, but not see.
It can...
...stimulate the imagination.
You wouldn't be the first person who looked into the jungle
and saw something that wasn't there.
- She was real. - Captain Archer...
...what are the chances you'd encounter a half-naked woman,
who you think you know,
dozens of light years from your home world?
Go to sleep.
If you're lucky, maybe she'll visit you in your dreams.
These can detect infrared.
Among other things.
What are you going after today?
We saw a pack of fire wolves yesterday
about six kilometres from here.
It's a difficult hike.
I'll try to keep up.
We'd appreciate it. We only have two days left.
What's the hurry?
To preserve Dakala, our law states that we're allowed to hunt here
for four days each year. Then we have to leave.
Hunters often wait decades for a chance to come here.
Are those volcanic vents?
Yes, that area's particularly active.
Mineral springs, steam vents. It's quite spectacular.
Could be worth checking out while Malcolm's on his safari.
I'll get my camera.
Did you sleep well, captain?
Yes, fine.
Good.
If you see any beautiful females today, you'll be sure to let us know.
Drayjin, a female.
They're very unpredictable.
Reminds me of Yellowstone.
It's more like the grottoes of Deneva Prime.
I'm detecting a large geothermal shaft 60 metres in that direction.
I'd like to examine it.
Sir?
Permission granted.
Stay in contact.
So...
...she was wearing a nightgown?
You think she's real.
I wasn't hallucinating.
Captain...
...it doesn't make any sense. - I know.
Trip...
...have you ever known me to do anything foolish? I mean,
really foolish?
I remember a poker game at Jupiter Station once. Other than that...
Last night I walked into an alien jungle, alone,
chasing a woman who couldn't possibly have been there.
That might qualify.
It was like I was being drawn to her.
Like I didn't have any control over what I was doing.
I can't explain it.
She must've been some woman.
- Wraith! - What is it?
- Is there something out there? - It could be a plume of steam.
They can fool our thermal scanners.
Well, let's find out.
No point in all of us chasing a sensor ghost.
- You two stay on the trail. - Damrus.
Take care of our guest.
We'll catch up.
Jonathan.
Who are you?
How do you know my name?
I need you, Jonathan.
You're speaking English.
I need you to understand.
I know you.
How is that possible?
If you didn't know me, would you have come?
You said you needed me. Why?
You're different.
Different?
What is it?
- What's wrong? - Harm.
- I don't wanna harm you. - Not Jonathan.
Then who?
Who wants to harm you?
Captain?
Are you all right?
Fine.
You disappeared on us.
What are you doing out here?
Just...
...taking some scans.
- Hold him! - I'm trying.
- If you can't keep him steady... - You're going to be fine,
but you have to be still.
- Archer to Enterprise. - What did that?
- I didn't see it. - Go ahead, sir.
- We split off to follow another trail. - Tell Dr Phlox to stand by.
- Yes, sir. - It was a Drayjin.
The females can be aggressive if they're protecting a nest.
The wound's deep. Give me the bonding kit!
There's no internal damage, but he's lost a great deal of blood.
We've got a doctor on board our ship. I've alerted him to stand by.
We're prepared to deal with injuries here.
We need him for the hunt. Their doctor can help.
We only have two more days.
Thank you, captain. Obviously, we want him to have the best treatment.
Let's get him back to the shuttlepod. You and Malcolm go with him.
You should all return to your ship.
We came to this planet aware of its dangers.
- You didn't. - I'm not ready to leave.
Lieutenant Reed reports they've docked with Enterprise.
Thanks.
T'Pol?
Come in.
I saw her again.
Near the thermal vents.
She spoke to me.
What did she say?
She said she...
...needed me.
I think someone may be trying to hurt her.
I believe you should reconsider returning to Enterprise.
And have Dr Phlox take a look at me?
There are no psychotropic compounds here.
I wasn't hallucinating, and I wasn't dreaming.
So the only logical conclusion is that she is a real human woman?
I don't know what she is.
I know it's not possible for her to be human,
but she's appearing to me for a reason.
And I'm going to figure out what it is.
How?
I'm going to find her.
- I'll go with you. - No.
A well-armed hunter was nearly killed today.
It would be foolish to go into the jungle alone.
I have to.
She's chosen to communicate with me.
I don't know why.
But I don't think she'd reveal herself if anyone else was around.
Is that your only reason for going by yourself?
- What? - With respect, captain,
I wonder if you would be so determined to find this apparition
if it were a scantily clad man.
How's he doing, doc?
It was a simple matter to synthesize his blood type for a transfusion.
He'll be back on his feet in a few hours.
I'll let the captain know.
Commander, could you tell me what attacked him?
They call it a Drayjin. Looks like a big, nasty pig.
Kind of tastes like one too.
I found cellular residue in the wound. It doesn't belong to this gentleman.
I assume it must have come from the animal that mauled him.
What am I looking at?
The cells are in a state of chromosomal flux. They're mutating.
It's as if they're trying to change into something,
but can't quite figure out what.
That must have been a most unusual pig.
Hello.
Are you there?
I'm alone.
Jonathan.
You're not a hallucination.
You're real. I can touch you.
Real, yes.
But you're not human, are you?
- Human? - Human.
Like me.
We are not like you.
We?
There are more of you? Where?
I haven't seen others.
We can become whatever you see.
A tree, an animal, water. Whatever you see.
I see a beautiful woman.
Because you want to see a beautiful woman.
How do you know what I want?
I can see your thoughts.
I see what eludes you.
You're telepathic.
That's how you know my language.
I know more than your language.
Then you must know why I'm so drawn to you.
Why I feel like I know you.
You do know me.
From where?
Why did you choose me?
You're different.
You said that before. How?
Who am I different from?
The others.
The only ones who have ever come here. Before you.
You mean the Eska.
Do you know why they come?
- To hunt. - To hunt us, Jonathan.
We are what they prize above all else.
You lost the Drayjin,
but at least you got some scars to show for it.
Well, thanks to your doctor, I don't even have that.
To the captain and his fine physician.
It was no problem, really.
Well, we have to drink to something, since we came back empty-handed.
To...
...good hunting tomorrow. - Cheers.
- Good hunting. - Good hunting.
So how did you lose them?
Drayjin are migratory.
By the time we got back, they moved on.
All those imaging sensors, and you couldn't see where they went?
They're more elusive than you give them credit for.
Apparently.
Do you hunt on your own world?
Yes.
Then why travel light years to hunt here?
Seems like a long way to come just to shoot a few wild pigs.
We hunt more than wild pigs.
The prey here is different.
Boar, wolves, some large reptiles.
It doesn't seem that different.
Imagine hunting something that can get inside your mind...
...sense your thoughts.
Is that different enough?
What are you talking about?
Wraiths.
You mean ghosts?
They might as well be.
Come on, fellas. That seems pretty far-fetched.
Does it?
You saw one yourself.
Your mystery woman.
She was undoubtedly a wraith who wandered too close to camp.
But she looked human.
You don't even know if it was a she.
They're shape-shifters.
They can look like anything.
Even people you know.
That's how they trick you.
They sound like intelligent, sentient beings.
Not the way you or I would measure intelligence.
It's an instinctual response.
That's why we were tracking you the day you arrived.
We thought they'd taken your form.
They assume the exact characteristics of whatever they become.
They turn into a rock, all you see is a rock.
Even on scanners.
Before we learned how to spot them,
they killed more of us than we did of them.
My father came here with eight other hunters.
They drove a group of wraiths into a blind canyon.
My father was sure that they had them cut off.
But when they moved in...
...the wraiths were waiting.
They'd read the hunters' minds.
They knew their plan.
My father made it out.
But only two of his friends survived.
How do you catch them?
In recent years,
we learned when you corner them, they panic.
Especially the young ones.
When they're afraid, they emit a chemical signature.
Our scanners have been modified to detect it.
It gives us an advantage.
They know damn well what they're doing.
I find this as distasteful as you do, captain.
I'm just not sure how we can stop them.
They're well-armed and they know the terrain.
I wouldn't want to try and take their weapons from them.
We have no right to, in any case.
What right do they have to come to this planet and shoot the locals?
Hunting wild boar is one thing, but they're killing a sentient species.
Even if we stop them...
...their people will continue to come here and hunt.
They've done it for hundreds of years.
Unless we find a more permanent solution.
Captain?
The hunters said the shape-shifters
emit a chemical signature when they're afraid.
That's what gives them away.
You have a sample of their cells.
I've been analyzing their mutative ability. Quite remarkable.
Can you find a way to mask that chemical?
That would shield them from the hunters' scans.
I'll start right away.
We may not be able to stop them from hunting here,
but we could level the playing field.
- Evening, captain. - Trip.
Get you anything?
No, thanks.
Milk, cold.
Do you know any poetry?
You mean besides "There Was a Young Lady From lpswich"?
When I was a kid, if I had trouble sleeping,
my mother would recite a poem to me.
There was one I always asked for.
It had a funny name.
"The Song of the Wandering Aengus."
I didn't learn till I was older that it was by Yeats.
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
Anyway...
...the man in the poem catches a fish
and it turns into a beautiful woman...
...with apple blossoms in her hair.
She calls his name and then vanishes.
And?
He spends the rest of his life searching for her.
His vision of perfection, I suppose.
Something he could never quite find.
It's her.
- Captain. - When I listened to the poem,
I must have created an image of that woman in my mind.
I haven't thought about it in years.
That's why I didn't recognize her at first. She isn't someone I ever knew.
She's someone I imagined as a child.
The elusive woman from the poem.
Why do you think this shape-shifter
reached into your mind and picked an image you'd almost forgotten?
I don't know.
Maybe that poem's been on your mind more than you realize.
Phlox to Captain Archer.
- Archer. - Captain,
I may have found something.
I'll be right there.
She may just be something I envisioned a long time ago.
But I'll be damned if I'm gonna let anyone shoot her.
- Are you sure? - It's a wraith.
I'm not picking up a signature.
- It was probably just a Drayjin. - I saw it shift. It's a wraith.
Stay with it.
Where is it?
I'm not picking up anything.
It has to be here. There's no way out.
Well, if it's cornered, it must be terrified.
Why can't we detect it?
It may not be afraid now, but it's about to be.
- I'm all right. - We should've seen it.
- Maybe our scanners aren't working. - All of them?
We need to leave.
Let's get back to camp.
How was the hunt? Any luck?
What are you doing here?
We wanted to take a few more scans before we left.
- Is everything all right? - We're fine.
You sure?
You look pretty rattled.
Our scanners are malfunctioning.
I'm sorry to hear it.
Looks like you won't be taking home any trophies this year.
Strange...
...but we never failed in the hunt before you arrived.
I guess we must be bad luck.
Are you there?
Yes.
They're gone.
For now.
Did you give the others the masking agent?
Yes.
It'll keep you safe.
Thank you.
I know who you are.
You remembered.
Thank you...
...for reminding me.
Never stop seeking what seems unobtainable.
Goodbye, Jonathan.
Don't forget me.
I won't.

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